Can-washing machinery.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917. Y

E. FQ RASSMAN.

CAN WASHING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.30| I9l6=Y www@ E. F. RASSMAN. cAN WASHING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILEI) SEPT. 30| |916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LMGAM., Patented Neb. 20,1917.

niaNns'r F. nnssNrAN, oFv cHAiaLo'rrrnsvrnma,l VIRGINIA.

caN-WnsHINe MACHINERY.

Specicatonof Letters Patent.

ratenteu ret. (ao, toit.

Application led September 30, 1916; Serial No. 123,053.

To alt whom t may concern.' i l Be it known that I, ERNEST F. RAssMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of "Charlottesville, in the county ofAlbemarle and in the State of 1Veirginia, have invente a certain `new and useful Improvement in Can-Washing Machinery, and do its operation as is possible, so thata minimum ofmanual ,enorm time and labor will `be required, which shall be extremely sim` ple, lso as to avoid heavyfirst cost 1n con-- structing it and repairs, and which, withal canbe depended upon to 'efficiently do `the my invention consists` in the ,apparatus constructed substantially" as herelnafter specilied and claimed.

lin the accom anying 'drawingsy Figure lis aside elevation thereof;

lFig.` 2 is an end elevation; Figs. Sand 4 aredetail views on an enlarged scale. showing the construction ..a r 1fdoperation ofgthe automaticvalve':mechanism `for controlling-the steam', .or fluid used with tra the. apparatus.

Briefly described, they apparatus shown vin.-

the drawings comprises a track,: or way -along which the cans placed on end are movedin succession, nozzles located along device such way having valve mechanism whichis automatically operated by lthepcans coming Y in contact with-membersI thereof as the lcans move along,` and-a drying -mechanism by which heated air isl applied-,tothe' cans,l

which drying'mechanismincludes a heating l a heating'medium" which is alsoyconttp ed i-byga vcan goperatedmean's.

The WOrMan- Ipks up can after can and I places 'lthemLinj-succession" upon the. track,

or way, the cans being'pushed along as he i places nal .fresh can thereon and shoves "iti alongthe way. j f :L

f The track or way is preferably formed of ported'in a preferably horizontal position irons 10 being spaced 'apart and arranged so that one flange, or member of each eX- tends vertically, and the other horizontally, the vertical flanges being spaced apart a distance to receive between them the mouth end of the can in an inverted position, andthe hor1zontal flanges being turned toward other and forming a Supportfor diametrically opposite edge portions of the can at the mouth thereof with nothing in contact with theremainder of the can mouth, so

thatthe fullest accessis possible for water, steam and air to the interior of the can from nozzles situated at suitable points along the way between said angle irons.

For the supply of water a nozzlel12 in thel form of a vertical pipe is connected by means of a pipe 13 with a suitable source of supply of water, in which pipe 13 there is scribed, when the open end or mouth of the milkan'` is in pos1tion above the nozzle to `receive the discharge therefrom. For the .supply of steam, a nozzle 15 inthe form. of a tionu above the nozzle to receive the dis- -charge therefrom. For the supply of hot air for dryingfpurposes, a nozzle, or outlet 18 is provided in the top of a chamber, or, housing 19 that contains a steam c oil"20 which is connected to the steam supply pipe 13.' Within the chamber, or housing below thesteam coil therein,'i's a rotary fan 21 lon the sha'ft ofa steam turbine 22 whichireceives its impelling steam through a pipe -23 which is connected with the steam supply pipefl and in whichpipe 23 there is a valve 24 that :is normally closed, vand which is automatically openedl by. the action ofthe milk can-as itis slid over the track, or way. The

steam coil leads' to a suitable steam trap 25 .which has a discharge'pipe 26 and the steam vturbine has anexhaust pipe 27 leading therea valve 14 that is normally closed, but which y is automatically opened, as hereinafter deworkrequ1red, and with this object in view from. ln 4thewall of thechousing, or chamber. 19, there areair holes` 28 for' the supply two paralle anglel irons 1()v that are-sup? C' of air to the interior of the housing. l ,Each 'valve for the' control of waterv and steam. has a Similar operating mechanism,

and a description of one such mechanism' will, therefore, suficefor all. v

lio

. the can on the inside, and by the forward opens the valve.

movement of the can be revolved through a quarter turn, each time, of course, leaving the next following arm in a similar vertical position for a similar coperation with the can. In its outer face, `and conveniently in a plate 30 attached to the wheel, is a Z- shaped slot 31, the middle portion of which extends diametrically of the wheel and parallel with two of the diametrically opposite arms thereof 'while each extremity of said slot extends rearwardly, and at more or less 0f an angle to the diametrically extending portion. Engaging said slot, and adapted to play back and forth therein, is a pin, or projection 32 on a vertical rod 33, which at its lower end passes through a hole in a lever 34 connected with the valve, and upon the ,rod below the lever is .a collar 35, which by the lifting of the rod engages the lever and The rising and falling movement of the rod is under the control of the rotating wheel. When the middlelportion of the slot is in a vertical position, said rod is in its lowermost position, and the valve is closed (its closing being effected by a suitable spring) and as the wheel revolves the pin 32 passes into the then lowermost horizontal extension of said slot until it strikes the end thereof, whereupon the further rotation of the wheel causes the -lifting' of the rod and the opening' of the valve, by which time the armengaged and acted upon by the forward edge of the can reaches a horizontal position, and the succeeding arm is in a vertical position and ready to be engaged by the rear wall, or edge of the'can on the inside, which next following arm, by

the movementimparted to it from the insidev edge of the can, and by being itself moved from ja vertical to a horizontal position,

brings' the middle portion of the slot again to a vertical position, and the then pin-engaged portion of the slot to 'the top, and said slot portionv being slightly inclined downward and forward, gravity acting upon` the rod will cause the pin to slide to the vertical middle portion of the slot and then through the latter to the bottom, and thus allow the automatic closing of the valve and shuttmg oli the water or Steamsu ply, as the case may be. It will be observedp this valve mechanism itis assured that durto drop that by f,

ing the entire time the open mouth of the can is over the nozzle, water, or steam, as the case may be, will be discharged from the nozzle and the discharge promptly cut off within the can by the time the can is ready to bemoved from over the nozzle. I preferably utilize the same rod 33 for controlling the'valves for the steam, or sterilizing jet and the steam for the motor of the drying device. Although the steam for rotating the fan willbe cut off before the last can'comes over the nozzle of the drying device, yet, there will bev ample heated air coming from such nozzle from the steam coil to effect tlw| drying ofthe last can.

It is desirable to prevent any tendency of the valve-operating wheels spinning, or turning too freely. A suitable brake device for this purpose is, therefore, provided. As shown in the drawings, such brake device consists of a toothed,or roughened surface 34, on the inner side of the wheel hub, and a spring pawl, or dog 35 that bears against such toothed, or roughened surface .which affords the desired resistance, although not preventing the ready turning -of the wheel by the engagement of the cans with the arms thereof.

The operation of the apparatus shown and described, has, I believe, been suliiciently set forth, and it will be evident that such apparatus attains the object of my invention as hereinbefore set forth.

. While I prefer, as an excellent embodiment of my invention, apparatus having the construction and organization of elements as illustrated in the drawings, it is to be understood variations from that construction within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The various parts of the apparatus are not shown in the drawings in strict proportion, or relativearrangement, as departures exist in these particulars for the sake of clearnes of illustration.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is- 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support over which the article to be acted upon is movable, means for supplying a Huid medium to the article situated adjacent the support, said means including a valve and a valve operating mechanism comprising a wheel having a series of projections that extend'successivelyI into the path of the article as it moves alon said support.

lll

2.- n an apparatus of the class described, l

the combination of a support over which theA article to be acted lpon is movable, means for supplying a Hui medium to the article situated adjacentthe support, said means including a valve, and a valve operating mechanism comprising a wheel having` a 13.'

maratea series of projections that extend successively into the path of the article as it moves along said support, said extensions being spaced apart for successive engagement by the exterior and interior of the can member.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support over which the article to be acted upon is movable, means for supplying a fluid medium to the article situated adjacent the support, said means including a valve, and a valve operating mechanism comprising a wheel having a series of projections that extend successively into the path of the articleas it moves along said support, said Wheel having a Z shaped slot, and a rod having a slot-engaging portion and connected with the valve.

4. Ina machine of the class described, a support over Which the article to be acted upon is movable, means for subjecting the article to the action of an aqueous fluid, a drier having a nozzle adjacent the path of said article as it moves along, means for supplying a heatin medium to the drier, a motor operated blower for-causing a flovv of air through the drier, and means for controlling the operation of said blower situated in position to be actuated by an article on the support in its movement thereover.

5. In a machine of the class described, a support over which the article to be acted upon is movable, means for subjecting the larticle to the action of an aqueous fluid, a

to be acted upon, means for supplying a fluid medium to the article adjacent the support to and past which the article is movable, and mechanism for controlling the application of said fluid medium to the article vcomprising a Wheel having a series of projections that extend successively into the path of the article as it moves alon In testimony that I claim the ll have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST F. RASSMAN.

oregoing 

